Blogger and author, Seth Godin, recently published Linchpin: Are You Indispensable. In a nutshell, there are three types of individuals Godin argues there are: beuracrats, workers, and linchpins on this earth. I’ll skip the first two and focus on Linchpins. These are individuals that create something out of nothing, innovate when there is none, create paths where there are thick forests, and simplify the complicated. These are individuals that become so indispensable that in a world of quick staff replacements, shrinking middle class, and lack of leadership, linchpins work in chaos and create value wherever they go.
Bilingual and bicultural linchpins, specifically, are in short supply. The question is how do we build more, how do we inspire and empower more to come out of the woodwork and start creating more out of nothing? Let’s start with acknowledging the obvious and let’s get back to work. The discussion continues.